II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3971 

To amend the Small Business Act to require reporting on additional information with respect to small business concerns owned and controlled by 

women, qualified HUBZone small business concerns, and small business 

concerns owned and controlled by veterans, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 19, 2024 

Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. KENNEDY) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Small Business 

and Entrepreneurship 

A BILL 

To amend the Small Business Act to require reporting on 

additional information with respect to small business concerns owned and controlled by women, qualified 

HUBZone small business concerns, and small business 

concerns owned and controlled by veterans, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Small Business Con5 tracting Transparency Act of 2024’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS OWNED 

2 AND CONTROLLED BY WOMEN. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 8(m) of the Small Busi4 ness Act (15 U.S.C. 637(m)) is amended by adding at the 

5 end the following: 

6 ‘‘(9) REPORT.—Not later than May 1, 2024, 

7 and annually thereafter, the Administrator shall sub8 mit to the Committee on Small Business and Entre9 preneurship of the Senate and the Committee on 

10 Small Business of the House of Representatives a 

11 report on small business concerns owned and con12 trolled by women, which shall include, for the fiscal 

13 year preceding the date of the report, the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) The number of applications for cer15 tification as a small business concern owned 

16 and controlled by women that have sufficient 

17 information for the Administrator to make a 

18 certification determination, disaggregated by— 

19 ‘‘(i) the number of applications cer20 tified; 

21 ‘‘(ii) the number of applications de22 nied; and 

23 ‘‘(iii) the number of applications for 

24 which a determination has not been made. 

25 ‘‘(B) The number of concerns certified as 

26 small business concerns owned and controlled 


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1 by women by a national certifying entity ap2 proved by the Administrator. 

3 ‘‘(C) The amount of fees, if any, charged 

4 by each national certifying entity for the certifi5 cation described in subparagraph (B). 

6 ‘‘(D) The total dollar amount and total 

7 percentage of prime contracts awarded to small 

8 business concerns owned and controlled by 

9 women pursuant to paragraph (2) or pursuant 

10 to a waiver granted under paragraph (3). 

11 ‘‘(E) The total dollar amount and total 

12 percentage of prime contracts awarded to small 

13 business concerns owned and controlled by 

14 women pursuant to paragraphs (7) and (8). 

15 ‘‘(F) With respect to a contract incorrectly 

16 awarded pursuant to this subsection because it 

17 was awarded based on an industry in which 

18 small business concerns owned and controlled 

19 by women are not underrepresented— 

20 ‘‘(i) the number of such contracts; 

21 ‘‘(ii) the Federal agencies that issued 

22 such contracts; and 

23 ‘‘(iii) any steps taken by Adminis24 trator to train the personnel of each Fed25 eral agency described in clause (ii) on the 


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1 use of the authority provided under this 

2 subsection. 

3 ‘‘(G) With respect to an examination de4 scribed in paragraph (5)(B)— 

5 ‘‘(i) the number of examinations due 

6 because of recertification requirements and 

7 the actual number of examinations con8 ducted; and 

9 ‘‘(ii) the number of examinations con10 ducted for any other reason. 

11 ‘‘(H) The number of small business con12 cerns owned and controlled by women that were 

13 found to be ineligible to be awarded a contract 

14 under this subsection as a result of an examina15 tion conducted pursuant to paragraph (5)(B) or 

16 failure to request an examination pursuant to 

17 section 127.400 of title 13, Code of Federal 

18 Regulations, or any successor regulation. 

19 ‘‘(I) The number of small business con20 cerns owned and controlled by women that were 

21 decertified. 

22 ‘‘(J) The total number of small business 

23 concerns owned and controlled by women. 

24 ‘‘(K) Any other information the Adminis25 trator determines necessary.’’. 


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1 (b) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—Section 8(m)(2)(C) 

2 of the Small Business Act is amended by striking ‘‘para3 graph (3)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraph (4)’’. 

4 SEC. 3. REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS OWNED 

5 AND CONTROLLED BY QUALIFIED HUBZONE 

6 SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS. 

7 Section 31 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

8 657a) is amended— 

9 (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub10 section (g); and 

11 (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(f) REPORT.—Not later than May 1, 2024, and an14 nually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the 

15 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 

16 the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the 

17 House of Representatives a report on HUBZone small 

18 business concerns, which shall include, for the fiscal year 

19 preceding the date of the report, the following: 

20 ‘‘(1) The number of applications for certifi21 cation as a qualified HUBZone small business con22 cern that have sufficient information for the Admin23 istrator to make a certification determination, 

24 disaggregated by— 

25 ‘‘(A) the number of applications certified; 


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1 ‘‘(B) the number of applications denied; 

2 and 

3 ‘‘(C) the number of applications for which 

4 a determination has not been made. 

5 ‘‘(2) The total dollar amount and total percent6 age of prime contracts awarded to qualified 

7 HUBZone small business concerns pursuant to this 

8 section. 

9 ‘‘(3) The total dollar amount and percent of 

10 sole source contracts awarded to qualified HUBZone 

11 small business concerns under subsection (c)(2)(A). 

12 ‘‘(4) With respect to an examination described 

13 in subsection (d)(5)— 

14 ‘‘(A) the number of examinations due be15 cause of recertification requirements and the 

16 actual number of examinations conducted; and 

17 ‘‘(B) the number of examinations con18 ducted for any other reason. 

19 ‘‘(5) The number of HUBZone small business 

20 concerns that were found to be ineligible to be 

21 awarded a contract under this subsection as a result 

22 of an examination conducted pursuant to subsection 

23 (d)(5) or a verification conducted pursuant to sub24 section (d)(2). 


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1 ‘‘(6) The number of small business concerns 

2 that were decertified as qualified HUBZone small 

3 business concerns. 

4 ‘‘(7) The number of qualified HUBZone small 

5 business concerns. 

6 ‘‘(8) Any other information the Administrator 

7 determines necessary.’’. 

8 SEC. 4. REPORT ON SMALL BUSINESS CONCERNS OWNED 

9 AND CONTROLLED BY SERVICE-DISABLED 

10 VETERANS. 

11 Section 36 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 

12 657f) is amended by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(j) REPORT.—Not later than May 1, 2024, and an14 nually thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the 

15 Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of 

16 the Senate and the Committee on Small Business of the 

17 House of Representatives a report on small business con18 cerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, 

19 which shall include, for the fiscal year preceding the date 

20 of the report, the following: 

21 ‘‘(1) The total number of small business con22 cerns certified as small business concerns owned and 

23 controlled by service-disabled veterans. 

24 ‘‘(2) The total dollar amount and total percent25 age of prime contracts awarded to small business 


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1 concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled 

2 veterans pursuant to this section. 

3 ‘‘(3) The total dollar amount and percent of 

4 sole source contracts awarded to owned and con5 trolled by service-disabled veterans pursuant to sub6 section (c). 

7 ‘‘(4) With respect to an examination described 

8 in subsection (h)(2)— 

9 ‘‘(A) the number of examinations due be10 cause of recertification requirements and the 

11 actual number of such examinations conducted; 

12 and 

13 ‘‘(B) the number of examinations con14 ducted for any other reason. 

15 ‘‘(5) The number of small business concerns 

16 owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans 

17 that were found to be ineligible to be awarded a con18 tract under this subsection as a result of an exam19 ination conducted pursuant to subsection (h)(2). 

20 ‘‘(6) The number of small business concerns de21 certified as small business concerns owned and con22 trolled by service-disabled veterans. 

23 ‘‘(7) The total number of small business con24 cerns owned and controlled by service-disabled vet25 erans. 


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1 ‘‘(8) Any other information the Administrator 

2 determines necessary.’’. 

3 SEC. 5. COMPLIANCE WITH CUTGO. 

4 No additional amounts are authorized to be appro5 priated to carry out this Act or the amendments made 

6 by this Act. 

Æ 


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